Openings or embrasures in a building, such as a house, typically are made for mounting a door or window therein. These openings initially are framed by wall studs made of wood or other material. The interior perimetric edges of the wall studs which define the opening then are finished by wooden, metal, plastic or similar jambs secured to the wall studs. These jambs can be of a simple design to provide a generally planar surface facing the interior of the opening or can be cut, formed and/or routed to provide a finished decorative appearance having a specific cross-sectional profile. One or more stops for the door or window also must be provided to ensure proper movement and positioning of the door or window. These stops can be provided by cutting, forming or routing the jamb itself into a desired configuration or by securing a separate strip to the jamb.
Since door or window jambs typically have a significant amount of exterior surface area exposed to the elements, they must be protected, especially jambs made of wood or metal. Normally, these jambs are protected with a coat of paint, stain, varnish or the like which must be removed and reapplied every few years to provide proper protection. Alternatively, a weatherproof cladding or protective layer can be installed over the exposed exterior surfaces of the jamb to provide the desired protection.
Cladding for door or window jambs with which the invention is concerned are known in the art. An example of cladding for a decorative jamb is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,665. Such cladding typically is formed from plastic with specific dimensions to match the detailed cross-sectional profile of the wooden jamb which is out or routed in several areas to provide one or more stops as well as a decorative appearance. The cladding can be adhesively or otherwise bonded to the jamb on site during construction of the building or can be applied at the factory to provide a prefabricated jamb.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,644 discloses a plastic clad window and method of manufacture including a prefabricated synthetic plastic shell having a wooden frame bonded therein. The shell, in effect, is a substitute for the exterior decorative jamb described above.
In order to provide an attractive transition between the door or window jamb and the exterior surface of a building, separate molding members, known as brick molds, typically are utilized. Such brick molds can be formed to provide a decorative look and are positioned to overlie the seam or interface between, and are secured to at least one of, the jamb and the exterior building surface. These brick molds typically are utilized to provide a decorative look to the planar jambs, but also can be utilized with the decorative routed jambs as described above.
The exterior jamb cladding and brick mold assembly embodying the invention provides significant advantages over previous jamb cladding members which typically do not include separate molding members. Specifically, the assembly includes a jamb cladding member and separate molding member which readily can be applied either during or after construction, to jambs with or without stops, and with or without any modification of the jamb. The assembly also can be adjustable to fit a variety of jamb dimensions, if desired. The completed assembly has no exposed fasteners and allows for expansion and contraction within the assembly due to changes in temperature. Effective weather stripping also can be provided between the assembly and the entire periphery of the door or window sash. The assembly can be formed in a variety of colors, can be embossed with a wood grain or other pattern, and can be painted if desired.